Rainbow View Could Surprise in Ladies Classic

Could Rainbow View be this year’s Raven's Pass? Last year English trainer John Gosden surprised many by winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic (gr. I) over the main track with Raven’s Pass instead of taking the more conventional European route in a turf race. For 2009, Gosden will saddle Rainbow View to try to accomplish a similar feat in the Breeders’ Cup Ladies’ Classic (gr. I).

“I’d love to be lucky enough to win one,” said Gosden, who also has Dar Re Me in the Emirates Airlines Breeders’ Cup Turf (gr. IT) and Pounced in the Grey Goose Breeders’ Cup Juvenile Turf (gr. IIT). “You come here in the great hope and belief that your horses run to the top of their ability. There are some really solid fillies there, but I think we belong in the race.”

George Strawbridge Jr. owns Rainbow View and defending Emirates Airlines Filly & Mare Turf (gr. IT) winner Forever Together, who is trained by Jonathan Sheppard. That is one reason Rainbow View will make her first attempt over a synthetic surface in the Ladies’ Classic instead of competing in the Filly & Mare Turf.

“I was perfectly happy to run her in the Ladies’ Classic,” Gosden said. “I’m happy to run on the main track here. It’s a lovely surface, and she’s trained well over it. Frankie Dettori breezed her yesterday, and I was very happy with her. It’s a little on the sharp side for her. But she’s won grade I’s twice at a mile in Europe, so a mile and an eighth shouldn’t put any fear into her.”

Gosden said that Rainbow View would likely have started in the Ladies’ Classic even if Zenyatta had stayed there instead of tackling males in the Classic.

“We’d have still gone because someone’s got to run second,” said the trainer, who relished Zenyatta’s performance in the Ladies’ Classic last year. “I was spellbound. I really enjoyed watching her run — that massive run at the end. If she could beat the colts, personally I think it would be superb.”